Jolene's Recipe Journal

This is a sponsored post.  I received products to use in the creation of my #CookoutWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. I've been spending some time going through my Gram's recipe box, and there are so many treasures in there.  There was a recipe for Blueberry Squares, but there's still a ways to go before blueberries are ready here.  When my products arrived from Chef Shamy, one of them was a Strawberry Honey Butter, and my wheels got to turning.  I could use the butter, fresh picked strawberries and why not throw in some rhubarb? I subbed 1/2 cup Strawberry Honey Butter for the regular butter. I ended up using 2 cups diced strawberries and 1 cup sliced rhubarb. The rest of the recipe remained the same.   The smell of the squares baking was absolutely amazing.   They were perfect with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, but could also be topped with a powdered sugar glaze. This is my last recipe for #CookoutWeek, and I'd like to thank Allison from the Pi

  I hope that you are enjoying #CookoutWeek so far!  I know that I'm pinning tons of recipes to try.  I first started making corn on the cob in the slow cooker back in the summer of 2015.   My guys love corn on the cob and I was looking for a way to do it that was less effort, but still delicious.  *This is a sponsored post. I received product to use in creation of my #CookoutWeek recipes.  All opinions are my own.* All you do is clean the silk and husk off the corn, lay it on a square of foil, smear it with some butter and whatever herbs and seasonings you like.  Wrap it up tightly, pop it in the slow cooker, and add about an inch of water. Cook it on high for 3 to 4 hours.   This is my go to method now.    And just when I thought it couldn't get any easier, I was introduced to Better Butter Craft Butter Butter.  I was sent the Garlic Butter with parmesan and basil, and I knew right away I wanted to use it for corn on the cob.  I added about a tablespoon to each pa

#CookoutWeek 2018 is here! During the next week, I am joining over 50 of my blogger friends to celebrate summer by posting delicious cookout-themed recipes. If you love grilling, frozen treats, picnics, berries, s'mores, campfire meals, and other summer goodies... you are in the right place! *This is a sponsored post.  I recieved products to use in the creation of my #CookoutWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.* To kick things off, I've sharing Colorful Quinoa Brown Rice Salad, a recipe that I've adapted slightly from Taste of Home.  Back in October, I changed my eating habits, and part of that change was trying new things.  Quinoa was on the list to try, and I've found a brown rice/quinoa blend that I love. When I saw the recipe for this salad, I used that as the jumping off point, and then followed the rest of the recipe as it was written.  While the quinoa and brown rice cooked, I chopped all the veggies.  So many beautiful colors and textures.  I keep my gin

Strawberry season is in full swing here in New England.  It's one of my favorite times of the year.   We hit the fields and bring home somewhere around 15 pounds of beautiful, juicy, sweet delicious berries. These are some of my family's favorite strawberry dishes. Top of the list has to be Grandma's Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake If you've never made homemade shortcake before, you're missing out.  I love the vanilla added to the berry mixture.   Either full size or as minis, these Berry Sour Cream muffins are always a hit! They're great for breakfast, or snacking.  I make them all summer long, starting with strawberries in June, then blueberries in July, and winding up with blackberries in August.   Strawberries aren't just for desserts!  Strawberry Salad with Mojito Vinaigrette      Another favorite is Citrus Berry Cake . It's like a shortcut version of strawberry shortcake. Great with fresh whipped cream or a dusting

Happy Taste of Home Tuesday!  I can't believe it's been 3 years since I was selected to be a Community Cook for Taste of Home magazine! I started reading them way back in the 90s when my Gram subscribed, and I've got almost every issue back to the premiere.  I've had two recipes published and have made more than 225 recipes from the magazines, cookbooks and their website.  They're always winners with my family! I hit the local farmstand over the weekend and they had beautiful sugar snap peas, and it only took me a few minutes of searching my pinterest board to decide what to make.  I love roasted vegetables so much more than boiled or steamed ones.   These Roasted Sugar Snap Peas are super fast and super delicious.  I was unable to find a shallot, so I used Bermuda onion instead.   To be honest, I made them in the afternoon so I could take pictures intending on eating them with dinner.  They didn't last that long.  Crisp but tender, perfectly seasoned.   T

It's National Iced Tea Day!  I'm going to throw this out there and admit that push comes to shove, I'm definitely an iced coffee girl.   When this event was announced, I decided I wanted to jump in and get out of my comfort zone a bit.   There's one type of tea that I love, and it's the kind that's served at Chinese restaurants.  The closest thing I've found to it is the Mandarin Spice from Celestial Seasonings.  And what goes better with orange than blueberries?  We've still got a ways to go before we can get them locally, but the ones at the grocery have been pretty good lately. There's a few steps to this, but they all go quickly. First, I made a blueberry simple syrup by combining sugar, water, and blueberries. Normally it's a 1:1 ratio, but my berries were very tart, so I used 3/4c sugar and 1/2c water.  I was lucky to find some mandarin oranges at the market, so I zested one and added that to the syrup too. You can use a regular small